Who can touch their toes?

K

KayM

Cathlete
Over about the last month, I have tried to incorporate some real stretching into my fitness program. I try to always stretch my hamstrings for a little while after working out, as well as other things.

Well yesterday I was pretty happy because I am able to touch my toes and even the floor fairly readily! Now that's kind of sad in a way, because when I was 15 I could put my hands flat on the floor and even wrap them around my legs. But hey, that was then and this is now, and it's been a long time since I could touch my toes without any discomfort!

I was just wondering, how is everyone else's flexibility? Can you touch your toes? Can you put your hands flat on the floor? How flexible would you be,if you could be?

Wouldn't it be great if Cathe put out an athletic stretch video?
 
I can put my hands flat on the floor. Even when I was in bad shape, I could do that because I've always been very flexible. I took dance for years when I was growing up and I wonder if I have 'muscle memory' for flexibility. Plus I have very short legs which might have something to do with it.

BTW, in ballet class my teacher thought it was great that I could lift my heels off the floor when I had my legs straight out in front of me and flexed my feet (can't explain it better, sorry, but it's a calf flexibility thing). But I think it was because I had such big calves (still do) that it didn't take much flexibility to lift my heels off the floor.
 
I can touch my toes or the floor flat handed! I have always been fairly flexible so have always been able to do that.
 
Yup, yup -- can put my hands flat on the floor! And if I had a completely flat tummy, I could fold my torso against my thighs. LOL
 
Hi Kay and JenniferAnn:

Yoga has really helped my flexibility. Yes, I can touch the floor with my hands, but I couldn't do that before yoga.

Kay: you should be proud of yourself for working on your flexibility. I am more pleased that I can touch the floor with my hands (flat) than I am of being able to lift a heavy amount of weight. Flexibility doesn't come easy to me.
 
Hands on the floor, boobs on my knees! I love stretching... it is the absolute best feeling after an intense workouto get down on the floor and stretch my heart out.
 
I use to be sososososo flexible.I use to be able to do a split and put 2 legs behind my head.Not at the sametime of course :D.I can still get one leg behind my head though.
I started going to yoga classes a couple of monthes ago but I don't think I am going to bother to go back.It's not b/c I didn't enjoy it but I would much rather spend my time sweating.The classes were every Wed at 10 and ran until 11:30 then I had to be at work by 1.And THEN if I wanted to do aerobics I would have to get up super early to fit that in and THEN if I did that I couldn't do anything to hard b/c my body would be a little weak.Just to much to think about.
But I just tried it.I can put my fingers under my toes.My hands won't go flat unto the floor.Just my knuckles.
Lori
 
I have to tell a story. A friend and I were discussing flexibility one day in my grandma's kitchen when she was in her mid-70s. We were in our late twenties/early thirties at the time. We were bragging a little bit, I guess, so my grandma put us in our places--by bending over double from a standing position and touching her nose to her knees! Even in her eighties, I can remember her sitting in her recliner watching tv with one knee up by her right ear, just because she found the position comfortable. Yikes!
 
I am sooooooo inflexible, only with constant stretching and excerise can I touch the floor. Even when I was a kid I was inflexible I used to ditch the beginning of my (forced) ballet classes because I hated the burn of stretching (which was dumb because that is what I NEEDED to work on but what did I know then). I am only 29 and before I started working out when I was about 20 if I tried to touch my toes I could only get my hands to about mid shin. AWFUL! I'm still really bad with a side split type stretch, I have the flexibility of a 50 year old man. My chiropractor has told me my pelvic structure may just not support a huge range of motion in that area. If I could change one thing about my body it would be to increase my flexibility so I could kick to the head in my tae kwon do classes. Now after almost 3 years if its a side type kick, just above the belt is about the best I can manage. BLAH!

I would LOVE an athletic stretch Cathe video!!

Jill
 
I can put my hands flat on the floor. I used to be very flexible, lost some of it, then regained it, mainly though stretching during and after strength workouts.
 
Jennifer - I also took dance for several years, and that's what got me flexible as well. I quit lessons when I was 12, but I remember up until the time I was 17 or 18, I still could put my hands flat on the floor. I guess with as long as it took to get that flexible, it stayed with me for quite a while.

It's too bad I didn't understand the importance of fitness back when I was 12, because I didn't realize how fit I was (nothing like being a big-chested gal in a class full of skinny gals to make you feel like a big cow)! Now I'm 28 and I'm thrilled to be able to touch my darn toes! :)

Well you know youth is wasted on the young!

I love hearing about everyone's different flexibility experiences, please keep 'em coming! It will inspire me to keep trying!
 
I've never been very flexible, but through yoga I have gotten much better, and I can now put my hands on the floor. I think the forward fold and downward dog have really helped.

Cari
 
Ok, I am the PICTURE of inflexibility!!!! Major issue for me, but I will say that when I began weight training my flexibility increased greatly without me really trying. I mean, I do stretch, but not nearly as much or as long as I should, but you know what poeple say about lifting and muscle gain. That it will bulk you and make you very tight. Well, I have found that routinely putting my muscles through certain range of motions (for example, deadlifts...) has actually helped me!!

After IMAX I can almost put my hands flat on the floor (when I am TOTALLY warm) BUT now, cold, it is only knuckles. But this in no way reflects my whole bodily flexibility. I would say that is worse...

Janice



http://www.picturetrail.com/thrashej
 
My flexibility has grown with my fitness. I can wrap my hands around the soles of my feet and lie my chest on my legs NOW, but when I first started working out I couldn't touch my toes standing or sitting!
But as I grew in fitness and lost weight, I became more and more flexible.

Proudest stretch: the one where you're sitting, you cross 1 leg over the other and twist to 1 side (torso twist I think it's called)looking back over your shoulder.
Day 1 of exercising Denise Austin did this stretch and I could not twist to either side AND it was difficult just to place 1 leg over the other and hold the position!
Cathe did this stretch in one of the IS workouts and I can now twist completely and look back over my shoulder.
This stands out the most because it was the first memory I had of being too out of shape to do even what should have been a simple stretch! (Plus, I believe belly in the way complicated the situation too!)

Donna
Fitness~It's a journey, not a race!
 
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